A loop heat pipe assembly may require a lengthy condenser section for adequate heat transfer. However, the lengthy condenser section may be too long to fit within a maximum packaging volume that is set in cubic inches, as a requirement for shipping and handling. Thus, a need exists for a component of a heat pipe assembly that assumes a compact volume for packaging, and that deploys to a length that would exceed the packaging volume limitations. U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,718 discloses a radiator that can be folded or rolled up, without disclosing how the radiator is packaged or how the radiator is deployed.
Further, it would be desirable to have a component of a heat pipe assembly that would assume a number of dimensional configurations, straight or curvilinear for example, with a serpentine shape, a U-shape or J-shape, for example, to route the heat pipe assembly away from spatial obstacles.